7/17/2023 (Monday) Today’s Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:34-11:1
34 Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and one’s enemies will be those of his household.
37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38 and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward.
42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple, amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
1 When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
7/17/2023 (Monday) Today’s Gospel Reflection: Matthew 10:34-11:1
Each one of us belongs to a family. We are happy when we have good relationship with the other members of the family. We tend to be more successful when our parents and our brothers and sisters are supportive to us. That is why some people make family their comfort zone and thus it becomes their number one priority. However, Jesus is telling us to make Him our priority.
The gospel reading above tells us that Jesus can be the cause of division even to family members. This can happen when the members of the family are not united in following Jesus. However, when Jesus is at the center of the family relationship, that means, everyone in the family follows Jesus, there will be peace, love and joy in the family.
It is there very important to make all family members make Jesus their priority. When we make Him the King in our life and in our family, we no longer belong to a human family but to the family of Christ.
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Let us recall that during the time of Jesus, the cross meant death. So, when Jesus tells us to carry our cross, his message is for us to be willing to die for our faith in Him. That means we must be willing to give up everything including our very own life for his sake.
It is not easy to deny ourselves of human wants and ambitions but it must be emphasized that Jesus demands total commitment to follow Him. There is no middle ground. We are either for Jesus or for someone else including ourselves. Not even family should hinder our decision to give Him our foremost attention. No matter how narrow the path or difficult the stumbling blocks, our yes should always be yes. Moreover, we say yes to Him without any condition.
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A Christian life is not easy. We give up our own family in order to be a member of the family of Christ. Just as we take support from our earthly family, the more we should support other members of the family of Christ. Jesus promised in verses 40 to 42 that we will receive our reward when we accept His messengers or even by just giving a cup of cold water to His followers. Then there is the power of prayer. When we hear of a fellow believer undergoing persecution, offering a short prayer can do great miracles for him or her!